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  • Snatch thieves nabbed within 24 hours of gold necklace rip ‘n’ run | Thaiger

    Snatch thieves nabbed within 24 hours of gold necklace rip ‘n’ run

    PHUKET: Police in Karon Tuesday took only 24 hours to track down and arrested a 21-year-old man and his 13-year-old accomplice for a snatch-and-run that relieved a tourist of his 38,000-baht gold necklace. Danish national Preben Andersen, 66, told police that he first noticed two youths following him from Karon Circle, as he and his wife rode their motorbike to…

  • Cement truck takes out parked car, small restaurant | Thaiger

    Cement truck takes out parked car, small restaurant

    PHUKET: The driver of a cement truck that slammed into a parked pick-up truck, a motorcycle and a small restaurant on Tuesday in central Phuket, has been charged with reckless driving and will be tested for drug use. The cement truck was en route from Cherng Talay to the Heroines Monument in Thalang at about 3pm when the accident occurred,…

  • Phuket sailors shine at Langkawi regatta | Thaiger

    Phuket sailors shine at Langkawi regatta

    PHUKET sailors dominated the Multihull class in blustery conditions at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta (click here) this week to claim the top two podium positions in the division. Grenville Fordham and Bob Mott co-skippered Andaman Cabriolet Nina well in winds of up to 25 knots to claim overall honors in the Multihull class. Nina is a regular in the…

  • UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims | Thaiger

    UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would coordinate with related parties to move some Rohingya refugees in Thailand on a voluntary basis to a third country, initially set as the United…

  • Lighthouse Market fully booked at Boat Lagoon – join the fun | Thaiger

    Lighthouse Market fully booked at Boat Lagoon – join the fun

    PHUKET: All available space for the inaugural Lighthouse Market at the Boat Lagoon is sold, bringing the island two nights of quality shopping, food and fun from about 60 vendors. The fun gets underway at 3pm on Saturday and continues until the close at 9pm, returning at the same time on Sunday for five more hours of festivities. Live performances,…

  • Breaking News: Police seize Phuket tourists’ beach umbrellas, chairs | Thaiger

    Breaking News: Police seize Phuket tourists’ beach umbrellas, chairs

    PHUKET: Confusion reigned at Patong Police Station this morning when a group of tourists arrived to reclaim their beach chairs and umbrellas, which were mistakenly confiscated by officers trying to ensure that vendors were not encroaching outside the recently established special beach zones. About 15 tourists arrived at the station, Lt Col Sutthichai Tianpho of the Patong Police confirmed. “Police…

  • Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese | Thaiger

    Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese

    PHUKET: Phuket is, in many ways, becoming similar to Pattaya, with more and more cheap condos popping up in Patong, Kathu and other areas of the island. One-bedroom units from 1-3 million baht are becoming the norm to cater to the once-a-year tourist, and Thai investors are becoming eager to make an investment in Phuket’s booming property market. CHALK AND…

  • Tackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths | Thaiger

    Tackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths

    Pol Sen Sgt Maj Komon Dumluck, president of Narcotics Protection and Suppression of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, was born in Phuket on April 5, 1967. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok with a BA and MA from the Faculty of Political Science. He then want on to secure a PhD from Bangkok’s Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in…

  • Exchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht | Thaiger

    Exchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Urgent meet sought on baht The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In the wake of global currency volatility, the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will soon call for a meeting with the Bank of Thailand to discuss currency risk and…

  • DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais | Thaiger

    DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday that two human-trafficking suspects were arrested for luring Thai men into exploitative work on fishing trawlers in Indonesian waters. At the press conference, DSI…

  • No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash | Thaiger

    No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Indonesian investigators said on Monday they had not found any evidence so far that terrorism was involved in the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last month that killed all 162 people…

  • Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid | Thaiger

    Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid

    PHUKET: A task force of officials from six government agencies today selected just three fishing boats at Rassada Pier to raid in a search for illegal migrant workers. The team found four suspects, who were all charged with entering and working in the country illegally. “They will be deported,” confirmed Phuket Immigration chief Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij. The task force was…

  • Security concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals | Thaiger

    Security concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals

    PHUKET: The very first concert in Phuket dedicated to entertaining Myanmar nationals may yet be canceled for security reasons. Posters and billboards erected around Phuket Town promote the “Myanmar – Thai Cultural Relationship Concert” to be held in a field behind Bus Terminal 1 on Phang Nga Road on January 31. The event is to feature Myanmar celebrities R Zarni,…

  • Phang Nga Bay Regatta calls for cruisers to take sail | Thaiger

    Phang Nga Bay Regatta calls for cruisers to take sail

    PHUKET: The iconic Phang Nga Bay Regatta returns for its 18th edition this year, with a move to March and calls for cruisers to take sail on the bay. The annual regatta, informally dubbed “the party regatta” from its reputation in its founding years, has for more than a decade been held, or at least started, in February. This year,…

  • Phuket, give blood out of love | Thaiger

    Phuket, give blood out of love

    PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified island residents to make a blood donation in February – which holds Valentine’s Day dearly in its bosom. “We want people to donate their blood in this month of love, so that they can share their brotherly love for their fellow human beings,” said PRBC acting chief Pornthip Rattajak.…

  • Phuket transport saga: A long, strange trip | Thaiger

    Phuket transport saga: A long, strange trip

    PHUKET: Even as my bus was drawing into the new Phuket bus terminal, predators were circling the bus full of unsuspecting, defenceless, bus-lagged tourists who were dying for a fresh shower or a chance to jump straight into the sea. Little did they know that their short remaining journeys would cost them half as much – if not the full…

  • Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests | Thaiger

    Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: People living near a gold mine in the central north are calling for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to urgently intervene after hundreds of villagers were found to have…

  • Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck | Thaiger

    Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday angrily denied an allegation that the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly had been ordered to impeach former PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Gen Prayut was asked to comment on the…

  • Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead | Thaiger

    Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Argentine prosecutor whoaccused President Cristina Fernandez of orchestrating a cover-upin the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of a Jewishcommunity center was found dead in his apartment, authoritiessaid on…

  • Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw | Thaiger

    Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw

    PHUKET: Chalong housewife Sompit Khaopong claimed a brand-new Toyota Altis 1.6, valued at more than 800,000 baht, as the grand prize in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw. Governor Nisit Jansomwong and his wife Mrs Nutsaree, who is the president of the Phuket Red Cross, presented the car to Mrs Sompit at the Phuket Red Cross head office…

  • Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor | Thaiger

    Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor

    PHUKET: A group of Australians in Patong will hold a fund-raising event at the Kangaroo Bar on Soi Bangla Friday night in order to provide a mobility scooter for long-term street merchant Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui. “Wan works in Patong, around the Bangla Road area, selling various wares. She’s been here as long as I can remember, which is more than…

  • Phuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video] | Thaiger

    Phuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video]

    PHUKET: The Munchy Machine, part of Phuket’s Tuk-Tuk Diner fleet (story here), was almost totalled in a hit-and-run accident near the TX Soccer Stadium in Samkong at about 4am yesterday. “We arrived at the scene and spoke to eye-witnesses, but nobody was able to describe the vehicle that slammed into the tuk-tuk before careening off into the support pole of…

  • Man injured in Phuket teen drive-by shooting | Thaiger

    Man injured in Phuket teen drive-by shooting

    PHUKET: Police are struggling to establish a motive in the drive-by shooting of a man in Thalang this morning, allegedly carried out by Phuket teenagers. Officers arrived at the scene, on the Baan Ya-Baan Don Road, at about 7am to find a motorbike parked in front of a resident’s house and a blood stain on the ground. “The 49-year-old victim,…

  • Bryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket | Thaiger

    Bryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket

    PHUKET: The sighting of a Bryde’s whale by tourists in the Surin Islands National Park off the coast of Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has raised hopes that the marine environment off the Andaman coast is improving. The whale was spotted swimming alongside a boat operated by Kuraburi-based Sabina Tours. “The tourists, who came from Phuket and Phang Nga to…

  • Finance: Five bad investments to avoid | Thaiger

    Finance: Five bad investments to avoid

    PHUKET: While there are good investments that can turn into bad investments along with bad investments that can eventually turn into good investments, there are some that are generally always bad for investors. With that in mind, the following investments are ones you should either avoid or limit your exposure to: 1) Your employer’s stock: Legendary fund manager Peter Lynch…

  • Thai Pencak Silat fighters bring home gold | Thaiger

    Thai Pencak Silat fighters bring home gold

    PHUKET: The 16th Pencak Silat World Championships ended yesterday with Thai fighters walking away with four gold, one silver and six bronze medals. “So many people attended the closing ceremony to cheer on Thailand. There were lots of students and teenagers from Phuket and other provinces – the 4,000-seat stadium was packed,” said Chayanee Saiyasuk, presenter and representative of the…

  • Sunloungers allowed during Patong Beach trial period | Thaiger

    Sunloungers allowed during Patong Beach trial period

    PHUKET: Though there will be no sunloungers available for rent in the special vendor zones on Patong Beach, beachgoers are allowed to bring their own, Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “Tourists are welcome to bring their own umbrellas, beach mats or sunloungers,” Ms Chalermluck said. “Or they can rent beach mats or umbrellas from vendors…

  • Gov vows to make Phuket world-class yacht, cruise ship hub of SE Asia | Thaiger

    Gov vows to make Phuket world-class yacht, cruise ship hub of SE Asia

    PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has vowed to make Phuket a world-class hub for yachts and cruise boats in Southeast Asia by putting his weight behind a multi-million-baht harbor expansion project at the island’s Deep Sea Port. The governor’s resolve follows a meeting on Tuesday headed by Minister of Transport Air Chief Marshall Prajin Janthong, who announced plans to make Phuket…

  • Dtac brings 4G to Phuket | Thaiger

    Dtac brings 4G to Phuket

    PHUKET: Total Access Communication Public Company Limited, commonly known as dtac, on Thursday announced the roll out of 4G services in Phuket. Phuket is the first southern province to receive 4G service, after dtac launched in Bangkok. “In 2014, internet usage in Phuket [grew] by 150% compared to the previous year. The top five favorite applications used in the area…

  • Wanted Aussie Bandido Brett Pechey not on Phuket police watchlist | Thaiger

    Wanted Aussie Bandido Brett Pechey not on Phuket police watchlist

    PHUKET: Local law enforcement chiefs today confirmed that wanted Australian biker Brett “Kaos” Pechey, who is currently living in exile, is not a wanted man in Phuket – but they are keeping a lookout for him. Mr Pechey is the former president of a Bandido chapter in Brisbane and wanted on extortion and riot charges in Queensland. He was featured…